Vincenzo Nibali claimed his first victory since 2019 with one of his vintage attacks in Stage 4 at the Giro di Sicilia.
Nibali, using home field advantage to hone his condition ahead of Il Lombardia, threw out a classic shark assault on the last climb in the last stage of the four-day race.
Five riders, including race leader Alejandro Valverde, could not close to the Italian, who built a half-minute’s gap by the top of the the climb. Nibali, as one of the best when it comes to riding downhill, added to his lead all the way to the line to easily take the stage and overall win.
Vincenzo Nibali: “This victory means a lot. In my land, Sicily, I won, and it’s something that I was waiting for a long time, for me and for the team. I am very emotional about this; I have no words.
“I knew the route of today’s stage, but not very well this side of the final climb. I just knew it was hard, ideal for an attack from far, but I knew the descent perfectly. We climbed hard and when the pace got slow, I attacked. I didn’t hesitate and went all-in, and from the team car, I was getting encouraging signals about the lead.
“I gained morale and confidence to gain time as much as possible before the top. Then, after the KOM, there was only to pedal without looking back. I am very happy and excited! The team gave me great confidence and I found the best way to repay it.”
